Fountain comb



April 24, 1934. Q M, RAEMER 1,956,14

FOUNTAIN COMB Filed April 29 1935 INVENTOR.

/ l l ATTORNEY5.

Patented Apr. 24, 1934 NITED STTES ATENT OFFICE 19 Claims.

This invention relates to a fountain comb structure.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a fountain comb structure suitable for applying a rather heavy or viscous liquid to the hair and with a structure that is a unitary arrangement and wherein the ow of liquid therefrom may be readily controlled and furthermore will not clog and which comb structure may be readily held, operated and controlled with one hand.

rihe chief feature of the invention consists in providing a comb structure of the character set forth, wherein the liquid is discharged from the reservoir or supply chamber to the teeth of the comb by a film or sheet type discharge.

Another feature of the invention consists in the formation of the reservoir such that it detachably receives the comb, so that the comb may be readily removed for cleaning or replacement, and the further formation of the combined structure such that the valve mechanism is normally constrained toward closed or shut-off position and may be readily manipulated into the adjusted open position through the use of the thumb, the barrel or main portion of the reservoir being adapted for encircling by the hand and the barrel or reservoir being exteriorly provided with a finger gripping surface.

Another feature of the invention consists in the formation of the comb structure such that it is readily adapted for mounting upon a simple convenient stand when not in use.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:-

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the fountain comb structure embodying the invention and the support associated therewith, the device being shown substantialy in full size.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. l, and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a similar View taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l, and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the comb receiving portion and the discharge outlet of the throat, and a sectional view of the comb and may be considered as taken in the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. l, and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the support with the fountain comb removed, parts being broken away to condense the figure.

Fountain comb structures have heretofore been of the character wherein the liquid to be applied by the comb teeth is supplied through a plurality of ports or apertures which communicate with a common chamber and said ports and apertures discharge at the root, or roots, of the teeth of the comb portion, or said ports extend through the comb and turn laterally near the end of the teeth, the teeth being hollow for said purpose, or extend to the end of the teeth, in the latter instance, the teeth being entirely hollow as set forth. In all of these constructions the use of a viscous liquid of a viscosity approaching that of heavy glycerine, or the like, is practically impossible due to clogging, chiefly due to capillary attraction between the liquid and the walls of the ports adjacent the discharge.

The present invention seeks to overcome this diiculty by providing that thev liquid supplied to the comb and distributed to the hair by means of the comb, is supplied to said comb as a sheet or lm that is substantially coextensive with the length of the comb, and in the present embodiment of the invention is supplied to but one face 0f the comb, because one side wall of the throat serves as a comb support and it is the side against which the comb bears as it is passed through the hair.

It will be readily apparent that when ports are formed in the comb, it is practically impossible to clean such a comb, that is clean it externally, with any facility between applications to different heads, and it is practically impossible to clean the comb when it becomes clogged. The present invention eliminatesA any possibility of any clogging and permits the ready removal of the distributing comb for rapid cleaning between the successive operations upon different heads, as well as permits comb replacement when one or more teeth thereof are broken.

In Figs. 1 and 6 there is illustrated a conventional support for the fountain comb structure, and in said figures 10 indicates a base and 11 two upstanding supports or uprights which terminate in arcuate grooves 12 upon which a cylindrical barrel 13 having the closed end 14 constituting the reservoir or magazine is supported. The opposite end of the tubular magazine is open and is externally threaded. A cap 16 is internally threaded and closes the magazine. The cap has a port 18 that is arranged for positioning substantially opposite the reservoir discharge opening, hereinafter described.

A tubular valve 19 is nested within the cylindrical magazine, and projecting laterallyptherefrom is a ringer piece 20, in the present form of the invention the same being extended through the tubular valve member 19 and suitably secured to the inner surface thereof as at 2l. This method of mounting is provided to insure rigidity and rm connection between the linger piece and the valve member. The valve member 20 at its exposed portion includes a projection 22 that is adapted to serve as a spring seat or retainer for spring 23, the opposite end of which is telescopically associated with the Well 24 oi an arcuate housing 25. The end 26 of the arcuate housing 25, when the magazine is grasped in the right hand, seats approximately at the inside of the index finger at the second joint thereof.

The cylindrical casing adjacent the threaded end is provided with a longitudinal slot 2'? and said slot includes a lateral extension 28 at its closed end. The longitudinal portion 27 of the slot is provided to permit the ready insertion and removal of the tubular valve, and it is noted that the tubular valve herein is shown Kas of a length equal to the inside length of the cylindrical magazine. The arcuate portion 28 of the slot is provided to permit oscillatory movement of the cylindrical valve. The spring 23 normally retains the valve in closed position and when the magazine is grasped in the right hand, the thumb bears on the iinger piece 20 and the valve may be turned in to the desired adjusted open position in opposition to the spring 23.

Extending from a point adjacent the threaded portion of the magazine and for a considerable distance longitudinally along the magazine, is a throat structure 29. Arcuately offset from said throat structure and substantially coextensive therewith, there is formed upon the exterior of the magazine or casing, an elongated parallel abutment 30. When the magazine is grasped in one hand, the middle and two fingers of the hand have their tips positioned in the groove formed between the throat 29 and the abutment 30, see Figs. 3 and 4, other portions of said ngers bear upon the surface ci the abutment 30 which is knurled, or otherwise fashioned to provide a frictional engagement. The peripheral exterior of the cap is also knurled.

The throat 29 includes an elongated mouth or opening 3l, and in the same is positioned an oset portion 32. rIhis provides a longitudinal extension 33-34 of the mouth opening, and an inner seat 36 adjacent the extended portion 33. The valve member includes a longitudinal slot 35 that is substantially of the same length as the throat opening 3l.

A comb having the back 37 and the teeth 38 is seated in the throat, and the top edge of the comb bears on the portion 36 at each end of the throat, and the two sides of the back of the comb at the ends are frictionaly nested in the extensions 33-34 of the throat 3l. This permits the comb to be readily detached from the throat structure for cleaning or replacement. It will be noted the Width of the throat 31 is approximately double that of the thickness of the comb, so that when the valve opening 35 partially or fully registers with the opening 3l in the magazine, a film of liquid from the magazine will discharge into the throat and pass down one side of the baci: of the comb and thence tothe respective teeth. There is no possibility of clogging or stoppage of the flow due to capillary attraction, since the single orifice is of sufficient magnitude to prevent such action. The operation is as follows:-

The comb is seated in the throat. The reservoir or magazine is iilled with the liquid to be distributed bythe comb. The cap is then screwed on the magazine with the port i8 positioned such that it is substantially diametrically opposite the throat opening 3l. The device, until it is to be used, may be rested on the support structure as described. When the device is to be used, it is grasped in the right hand, as herein before indicated, the thumb on the nger piece or valve control member 20, the index nger bearing on the end 26 of the portion 25, and the three remaining lingers bearing on the casing between the throat 29 and the portion 30. rIhus a perfeet gripping arrangement is obtained. Pressure applied by the thumb on the exposed portion 20 rotates the valve member so that the elongated siots or ports in the valve member and throat register partially or completely, as desired, and when such registration occurs, the nlm of the liquid discharges by gravity on to one tace of the back of the comb or le side of the comb and thence passes downwardly along the exterior of the teeth, and in the combing of the hair this liquid is transferred to the hair and removed rom the teeth of the comb. The operation is continued until all the hair on the head operated upon is supplied with the liquid.

It will, oi course, be readily apparent that instead oi an interioriy arranged valve structure, an exteriorly arranged valve structure may be provided. However, the interiorly arranged valve structure oers certain advantages and prevents the leakage or escape of liquid, which is characteristic of the exteriorly arranged valve modcation.

Said inodiiication as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which this invention applies, are all considered to be within the broad scope of this invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:-

l. In combination, a comb, a reservoir for a semi-viscous liquid supporting said comb, and means associated with the reservoir for discharging the liquid therefrom to the comb in substantially sheet or nlm form.

2. In combination, a comb, a reservoir for a semi-viscous liquid supporting said comb, means associated with the reservoir for discharging the liquid therefrom to the comb in substantially s or nlm constituting the solo upporting connection between the comb and ervoir to provide a unitary arrangement and irect the sheet discharge to the comb.

3. In combination, an elongated reservoir havi' ing an elongated throat with an elongated inlet slot providing the communication therebetween, valve means controlling the discharge from the slot, and a comb supported by the reservoir in juxtaposition to the slot for lm or sheet discharge therefrom to the comb.

4. In combination, an elongated reservoir having an elongated throat with an elongated inlet slot providing the communication therebetween,

valve means controlling the discharge from the taposition to the slot for film or sheet discharge therefrom to the comb.

6. In combination, an elongated reservoir having an elongated throat with a single elongated inlet slot substantially coextensive with the throat and providing the communication therebetween, valve means controlling the discharge from the slot, and a comb supported by the reservoir in juxtaposition to the slot for film or sheet discharge therefrom to the comb, said throat nestingly receiving and supporting said comb.

,and forming therewith a finger tip receiving groove, one end of the reservoir being open, and cap means for said open end for reservoir refilling.

9. In combination, an elongated reservoir having an elongated throat with an elongated inlet slot providing the communication therebetween, valve means controlling the discharge from the slot, and a comb supported by the reservoir in juxtaposition to the slot for iilm or sheet discharge therefrom to the comb, said throat having comb seating portions therein and said comb being detachably seated in the throat and between said portions.

10. In combination, an elongated reservoir having an elongated throat with a single elongated inlet slot substantially coextensive with the throat and providing the communication therebetween, valve means controlling the discharge from the slot, and a comb supported by the reservoir in juxtaposition to the slot for film or sheet discharge therefrom to the comb, said throat having comb seating portions therein and said comb being detachably seated in the throat and between said portions.

11. In a fountain comb, the combination of a cylindrical reservoir having an exteriorly positioned longitudinally extending throat with an elongated slot connection providing the communication therebetween for sheet discharge, an oscillatable arcuate valve member seated in the reservoir adjacent the slot connection for controlling liquid flow therethrough, and an exposed portion for moving said valve member.

12. In a fountain comb, the combination of a cylindrical reservoir having an exteriorly positioned longitudinally extending throat with an elongated slot connection providing the cornrnunication therebetween for sheet discharge, an oscillatable arcuate valve member seated in the reservoir adjacent the slot connection for controlling liquid flow therethrough and normally constrained toward cutoff position, and an exposed portion for moving said valve member into the desired open position.

13. In a fountain comb, the combination of a cylindrical reservoir having anv exteriorly positioned longitudinally extending throat with an elongated slot connection providing the communication therebetween for sheet discharge, an

oscillatable cylindrical valve member seated in the reservoir adjacent the slot connection and having an elongated slot arrangement therein for controlling liquid flow therethrough, and an exposed portion for moving said valve member.

14. In a fountain comb, the combination of a cylindrical reservoir having an exteriorly positioned longitudinally extending throat with an elongated slot connection providing the communication therebetween for sheet discharge, an oscillatable cylindrical valve member seated in the reservoir adjacent the slot connection and having an elongated slot arrangement therein for controlling liquid flow therethrough and normally constrained toward cutoff position, and an exposed portion for moving said valve member into the desired open position.

15. In a fountain comb, the combination of a cylindrical reservoir having an exteriorly positioned longitudinally extending throat with an elongated slot connection providing the conimunication therebetween for sheet discharge, an oscillatable arcuate valve member seated in the reservoir adjacent the slot connection for controlling liquid iiow therethrough, an exposed portion for moving said valve member, said exposed portion having a spring seat, an external socket upon said reservoir, and a spring having one end seated in said socket and the other end associated with the exposed portion spring seat and imposing constraint upon the valve member.

16. In a fountain comb, the combination of a cylindrical reservoir having an exteriorly positioned longitudinally extending throat with an elongated slot connection providing the com-` munication therebetween for sheet discharge, an oscillatable arcuate valve member seated in the reservoir adjacent the slot connection for controlling liquid flow therethrough and normally constrained toward cutoff position, an exposed portion for moving said valve member into the desired open position, said exposed portion having a spring seat, an external socket upon said reservoir, and a spring having one end seated in said socket and the other end associated with the exposed portion spring seat and imposing said constraint upon the valve member.

17. In a fountain comb, the combination of a cylindrical reservoir having an exteriorly positioned longitudinally extending throat with an elongated slot connection providing the communication therebetween for sheet discharge, an oscillatable cylindrical valve member seated in the reservoir adjacent the slot connection and having an elongated slot arrangement therein for controlling liquid flow therethrough, an exposed portion for moving said valve member, said exposed portion having a spring seat, an external socket upon said reservoir, and a spring having one end seated in said socket and the other end associated with the exposed portion spring seat and imposing constraint upon the valve member.

18. In a fountain comb, the combination of a cylindrical reservoir having an exteriorly positioned longitudinally extending throat with a slot connection providing the communication therebetween for sheet discharge, an oscillatable cylindrical valve member seated in the reservoir adjacent the slot connection and having an elongated slot arrangement therein for controlling liquid iiow therethrough and normally constrained toward cutoff position, an exposed portion for moving said valve member into the desired open position, said exposed portion having a spring seat, an external socket upon said reservoir, and a spring having one end seated in said socket and the other end associated with the exposed municaton with the chamber, valve means for controlling the discharge from the chamber to the throat, and a comb supported in juxtaposition to the chamber and being sheet fed from the throat.

CLIFFORD M. RAEMER. 

